STING- Central Park, The Great Lawn

The Great Lawn of Central Park before the people arrive.

  Written by Backstage Bruce

    The Great Lawn in Central Park has played host to a handful of performances of historic proportions. Concerts that have drawn estimates of a million people, maybe less, maybe more. When the crowds are that big it's almost impossible to get an actual count, but according to NYC Parks department, their appraisement is one million.

    Talented acts like: Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Sheryl Crow, Paul Simon, and Garth Brooks have all drawn massive amounts of music lovers. The Diana Ross concert, in 1983, was the largest ever recorded in Central Park. It rained so hard and she just kept singing during the downpour, belting it out. There was real concern that she could be electrocuted. The nearby playground was renamed the 'Diana Ross Playground' to commemorate her performance.

    Then the new millennium arrived, welcome 2000. The days of crowds that huge were over. The first free concert on The Great Lawn in Central Park, in 2000, was conducted by Sting. A new rule was put into place where you were no longer allowed to just show up. You must first go, in the afternoon, and get your free tickets from various ticket distribution centers. The limit of tickets to be dispersed was 25,000.

    They were snapped up immediately, I didn't get any. I made no plans to go, I had already seen Sting, in 1988, during 'Nothing Like The Sun' tour. The show was great then. At 5:00 p.m. the evening news comes on, a reporter was broadcasting from Central Park live. It looked like it was a fun scene going on. The reporter interviewed the parks commissioner and he stated "If you do not have a ticket, do not come here tonight." I had to go now.  

BSP from the first time I saw him

    I get to The Great Lawn and start to look for a way in. I take it all in. Nice end of summer night, the air crisp, no humidity, thousands of people arriving with tickets, another thousand or so without. There was music being played over the speaker system that could be heard very clearly on the other side of the fence. If I couldn't get in, I would certainly be able to hear it at least. 

    The sun starts setting and the concert gets underway. Sting takes the stage with his backing musicians and the crowd erupts. A sense of urgency ensued amongst us outside. There were a few people milling about. We were chatting, one idea that we collectively came up with was to just climb the fence. It was a chain-link fence, those are so easy to climb. It's like they supplied us with a ladder. Our only concern was that security would be on the other side and they would see us when we went over. That idea was immediately nixed.

    Meanwhile the show started. They kicked it off with 'If You Love Someone Set Them Free'. It sounded really good from where I was at. I'm looking at this fence, contemplating, and I noticed, at one spot, that there is a gap underneath. On the other side was a lot of bushes which would provide great cover if someone were to make it under. 

    I'm standing there, thinking, I mention it to a couple who I had been talking to. I pointed it out to them, the three of us were standing there looking at it, questioning whether or not we would be able to fit when all the sudden the girl, who was the smallest of us, sat down and started scurrying underneath. She wasted no time.

Sheryl & Sting from that night

    Immediately, as I watched her make her way under the fence, a line from The Police song 'Roxanne' came to mind, which I sang out loud "You know my mind is made up", because her mind was made up! Our little group quickly grew to roughly eight people. We all made it under the fence and dispersed. Everyone first needed to dust themselves off, after they got back on their feet, then be on their merry way.      

    The second song started up and I was in. Then he/they played 'We'll Be Together'. I really like that one. That show was closing night of Sting's summer tour 'Brand New Day', the very last one, finito. It really was so much fun seeing the show underneath the stars. 

    The evening progressed and the night grew darker which made the stage with all the lights really come alive. The band played about three new songs in a row, which was fine. We want to hear the new stuff too, he'll get to the classics. We're in no hurry, we've got all night. 

    Sting then invited Sheryl Crow on stage to play 'Fill Her Up'. She was the musical guest of the evening. (Sheryl Crow had performed her own concert on The Great Lawn, exactly one year earlier in September, 1999.) She sounded great too. 

From the collection- Sheryl Crow autographed CD and BSP from 1997

    That was about the halfway point and from there on out every song was a smash hit. They played 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Englishman in New York', 'Brand New York (Day)', 'Roxanne', 'When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around', 'If I Ever Lose My Faith in You', 'Every Breath You Take', plus a few others. Sting pulled out the acoustic to play 'Message in a Bottle', outstanding. 

    The entire concert was really great. The audience loved him/them and it showed. In addition to cheering and applauding, they did dance to all the hits. I am so glad I decided to get off the couch and go enjoy life.

LILLIAS WHITE- Fire Island Pines

 Written by Backstage Bruce    

Lillias White

    Fire Island Pines is one of the 17 communities located on the barrier island of Fire Island situated off the south shore of Long Island. At one point, this was the most expensive vacation real estate on the entire east coast. There are no cars. You take a ferry across The Great South Bay and walk wherever you go once you arrive. 

    There are boardwalks that have been built long ago leading everywhere. The area is primarily a gay destination resort with a handful of restaurants and quaint little boutique stores. There is a community house that produces high-quality shows with top-name entertainment. 

    I was spending the summer out on Fire Island, working as a server, in one of the restaurants, in the far less affluent community in the next town over, Cherry Grove.  One day, I read a poster that Lillias White was performing her latest cabaret show 'From Brooklyn To Broadway' in The Pines. 

    I love Lillias. I had seen her in the musical 'The Life' a few times. She played the role of Sonja and won her Tony for the song 'The Oldest Profession' I became friendly with her over the years. Myself and friends attended her cabaret show at Arci's while she was recording her live CD. So, I was not going to miss this. 

My 'original cast recording' CD and ticket stub, she signed it

    The Pines community house box office was my first stop right after I finished up my lunch shift. I was so lucky to get like the very last single ticket, obstructed view, in the very last row, right next to the person running the spotlight. I was so happy to just be getting in. I emailed Lillias to let her know that I would be at the show. Night of, I stopped at the florist, in The Grove, and I picked up the biggest bouquet of white lilies as possible. I had ordered them days before for her. 

    Almost everyone turned to look as I entered. Much to my absolute shock, I was the only one carrying flowers. Everyone was looking their absolute best, expensive, designer labels as far as the eye can read. This was one of the biggest social events on the calendar. I see Lillias' assistant. I have met him before. I say a quick hello and start to make my way to my seat. I didn't need any assistance, I knew where it was, way back there. He speaks up and says "No, Bruce, this way." I just looked at him and told him my seat is this way. He responded again, "No, this way, we have a seat for you." 

    

    I followed him. He kept going and going right up to the front row! There was a single seat right there waiting. He pointed to it and told me "That's your seat." I couldn't believe it! The smile on my face was ear to ear. Every head turned as I walked to my seat with my flowers. Never could I ever plan this, another miracle.

Lillias's live album 'Live At Arci's'

    The band starts to play a terrific mix of Blue Moon and Devil Moon combined. On stage were the three-backing musicians. The pianist and musical director was the incomparable, Mr. Timothy Graphenreed (Composer- The Wiz). On bass was the talented Mr. Alan Moody. Mr. Wally Gator kept the beats going, all night long, on the drums like a champ. 

    Lillias is still off stage, unseen to the audience, when she starts to sing. Upon hearing her beautifully unique voice the audience erupts into a welcoming applause as they are eager to see her. She serenades two lines to build up the anticipation before she makes her grand entrance. She steps on the stage and the crowd goes wild.

    She was surrounded with dozens of fragrant, long stem white lilies. Being up front I had the opportunity to see and smell everything. She was wearing gold, high-heeled shoes, with 3-inch heels. Her nail polish was candy apple red. I would have never seen any of these details if I had been sitting back there next to obstructed view, spotlight person. 

    She was dazzling. The band smoothly rolled into the next  tune, the Eric Bennett written number, 'When I Think Of You'. Lillias calls this her "ex-song". Everyone laughed, this got a good chuckle as almost all can relate. She was seated, on a stool, in the center of the stage. As the beat picks up she slowly arises and before long she had worked herself into a sweat really belting it out. It was fun to experience that arc. She threw in some phenomenal do wop/ be bop, during the song's break, to showcase all the vocal talents. She had such fantastic range. 

    Great interaction with her fans, there was comedy and storytelling interwoven throughout the night. It was now time for audience participation. This could have gone either way. Either they were going to jump in enthusiastically or sit there stuffily. They joined in. Lillias radiated so much positive energy that it just filled up the room and the room returned it. They clapped and sang along for the duration, without messing any of it up. That was some fete.

Painting of Fire Island Pines Community House 1953-2004

   
    One story that she shared with us was that particular day, September 2nd, 2000, happened to be her mother's 84th birthday. Her mother was from South Carolina and her father was from the islands. She came from a big family and every Sunday they would get together and have a big family meal. Afterwards her Aunt Lillias (her namesake) would put her on the table to sing and dance for the whole family. These were her earliest performances. 

    Next up was 'Born For You' which was a real tearjerker, have the tissues ready. 'Fairy Tales' followed that, it was very enchanting like a fairy tale should be. Timothy whipped up the next little ballad 'From Brooklyn To Broadway'. It was a great introduction into Lillias's vast catalog of work on Broadway. From that, she and the band segued into 'Brotherhood of Man' from 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying'. The audience loved it. 

    Continuing with the Broadway medley, from the musical 'Once Upon An Island' sprang 'Mama Will Provide'. Another musical, she starred in, 'Dreamgirls' provided both 'Dreamgirls' and 'One Night Only'. The crowd was definitely in a frenzy by now. 'Thank God I'm Old' from 'Barnum' was in that terrific mix. This is the meat and potatoes they came here for. The final number of the Broadway collection was next. Everyone was waiting for it. This is the ditty, from the Cy Coleman-Ira Gasman musical, 'The Life', for which she won numerous awards: The Tony, The Drama Desk, The Outer Critic's Circle, etc...

    From the first note, they recognized 'The Oldest Profession'. Everybody was clapping, some cheering, a few calling out "We love you, Sonja". She gave it her all, the extended version, quite riveting, so captivating. The moment she finished the entire house was on their feet. During the ovation, which lasted well over five minutes, I was nudged from behind. Someone whispered "now" meaning the flowers. So I gave them to her, she took them, and smiled back. 

    She stood there holding the flowers for a few minutes, then laid them on top of the piano and the musicians started playing the encore, the final number of the evening 'The Way He Makes Me Feel'. It was so sultry, what a great choice to bring it all home. That tune finishes and again, the people leapt to their feet, two standing ovations!!! They loved her. She took her bows, waved graciously, picked up her flowers and exited the stage gracefully. 

    Hopefully she will return every summer even if it's for 'One Night Only'.